


Every Christmas

by 88wiseowls



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Drunken Confessions, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Reincarnation, Stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 16:45:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8998822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/88wiseowls/pseuds/88wiseowls
Summary: Every Christmas Artemis has a reason to remember Zoë. And stars always have something to do with it.





	

Their first kiss is on Christmas day under the stars. Artemis knew that she had drunk to much but it was the same story every Christmas. She just couldn't control herself amongst all the celebrations. Which is why she's currently staggering down the path clutching onto Zoë. Luckily no one is at the camp when they arrive. 

"Milady, your tent" Zoë says , "I think that it's best if you lie down and go to sleep." However Artemis digs her heels into the ground. For some reason she doesn't want to go to sleep. Even though she knows that she should. "Milady" Zoë says and this time there is more of a plea to her voice. 

"No" Artemis mutters. She can sense Zoë's desperation and slight anger but she knows that Zoë will never show those feelings. She knows a lot of things. Including that her brother is an annoying brat but she just had to drink more than him. She doesn't know why she had to though. Or why everything between them has to be a competition. 

"Milady, please" there is a much more pleading tone to Zoë's voice now. It's kind of cute. And Artemis's common sense is all over the place. That's the only reason she can think of for what happens next. She leans over to Zoë and kisses her. For a brief moment Zoë kisses her back before she pulls away. Artemis is way more disappointed than she probably should be. 

"I love you Zoë" she finds herself muttering. Zoë just stares at her. There is almost something like fear in her face. Too late Artemis starts to wonder if she doesn't feel the same way. However instead of moving away she just stays frozen to that spot.

"I love you too, Milady" Zoë mutters softly. Artemis's heart leaps. "But we can't" Zoë continues before she's cut off by Artemis's finger on her lips. 

"Who says we can't?" She asks before kissing her again. This time Zoë completely melts into the kiss. They end up stumbling into Artemis's tent clutching desperately at each others clothes. 

The next morning Artemis wakes up in Zoë's arms with a raging headache. However she can remember exactly what happened last night and she wouldn't change it for anything. She also makes sure that they celebrate the event every Christmas.

* * *

 

Artemis tries so hard to keep Zoë in her life for as long as she can however a few centuries later use is leaning over her as she dies. And it hurts. Her heart feels like it's slowly being ripped in two. In all honesty she doubts that things will ever be the same again. 

"Stars" Zoë mutters, "I can see the stars again Milady." Artemis slightly confused about what Zoë is talking about. 

"Yes, my brave one, they are beautiful tonight" she says even though her eyes never leave Zoë's face. 

"Stars" Zoë mutters as she goes still. And all of a sudden Artemis understands what she was trying to say. Slowly she mutters the ancient words before looking up at the night sky. And Zoë is there amoung the stars forever hunting the beasts of the night sky. 

She manages to stay calm throughout the Winter Solstice meeting. She even manages to speak without her voice breaking. The entire time she can feel her brother's worried eyes on her. Obviously he knows what's happened. She knows that she'll never make it through the party and so she escapes to her room. And that's when the tears fall. 

* * *

 

Every Christmas after that she would go to a high vantage point and stare at the stars remembering the one she loved. The pain didn't get any easier as the years went by. Sometimes her brother comforted her when she really missed Zoë and sometimes it was Thalia whose shoulder she'd cry on. However neither of them really understood. They hadn't loved Zoë the way she had done and still did. 

"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" a voice asked her one night when she was staring at the sky. Zoë's voice. Artemis looked sideways to see a girl standing next to her. A girl that looked just like Zoë. Except she seemed more carefree and her hair wasn't tied up. Other than that it could have been Zoë standing next to her. 

"Yeah, they are" she said trying to keep her voice from shaking. The girl turned and looked at her properly. There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes before she smiled. Zoë's smile. 

"I'm Astra" she said holding her hand out. Slowly Artemis took it her mind going a million miles an hour. Astra meant stars. Was it possible that Zoë had chosen reincarnation so that they could be together? When their hands touched a short of jolt went through them causing both of them to gasp and pull away. Astra just stared at her while running her hand. In a split second Artemis made a decision. 

"Take this" she said handing her a Hunters of Artemis leaflet, "Think about it." Slowly Astra opened the leaflet and looked at the pictures inside. Quickly Artemis turned away and started to walk back to the camp. She was asking a lot of her.  When we was ready she would find her. 

"Wait!" Astra suddenly yelled. Slowly Artemis turned around to face her feeling slightly confused. Surely it took longer to make this sort of life changing decision? "Your Artemis, aren't you?" Astra asked simply. Artemis nodded. There was really no point in lying. Astra glanced down at the leaflet again before looking back up at her. "I want to join" she said a stubbornness to her tone that for Artemis that there was no room for negotiations. 

"Come to the camp and we'll talk it over more" she said. Astra ran up to walk beside her and smiled. Slowly Artemis smiled back and sent a silent thank you to the fates. For while she didn't know how this would turn out she had a second chance with her beloved. And that was more than she could ask for.  

 

 


End file.
